α-Fluoroacrylic acid esters are useful, for example, as a synthetic intermediate for medical drugs (e.g., antibiotic drugs), a synthetic intermediate for cladding materials of optical fibers, a synthetic intermediate for painting materials, a synthetic intermediate for semiconductor resist materials, and a monomer for functional polymers.
Examples of conventional processes for producing an α-fluoroacrylic acid ester in an excellent yield include the process proposed in Patent Document 1 for producing an α-fluoroacrylic acid ester by subjecting an α-fluorophosphono acetate and paraformaldehyde to a condensation reaction, the process being characterized in that the condensation reaction is carried out in an aqueous medium in the presence of a weak inorganic base (Patent Literature 1).